Get Well Soon
by Error- Username Not Found
Summary: Rukia isn't feeling well and the maids aren't allowing her to leave. Byakuya steps in. I'm terrible at writing summaries. Are you really still reading this? :P It's my first publishing on this site, so if you like it, I WILL be writing more. Feedback is appreciated! :3 Please and thank you! :)
1. Sick Day

Sick Day

"Please Rukia-sama, lie back down!" the maid pleaded. "You are not well enough to-"

"Nonsense! I am perfectly capable of fulfilling my duties as a soul reaper! I will get dressed and head out to the barracks to help Captain Ukitake as soon as possible!" the raven haired girl denied, trying to get out of bed.

"You need your rest and time for your body to recuperate… Please miss, stay home for today. You're even beginning to run a fever!"

"I'm fine!" Rukia insisted. She began to cough, her head pounding each time she did so.

Apparently unable to ignore the ruckus any longer, the noble clan leader, whom was right across the hall, slid open the door to observe the commotion.

"What seems to be the problem?" Byakuya Kuchiki demanded. He'd been trying to have a peaceful morning before having to deal with his captains duties along with his idiotic lieutenant Renji Abarai, but something was standing in the way of that desire.

"Good morning Nii-sama," Rukia greeted instead of answering.

"Kuchiki-sama!" The maid bowed slightly "It's Rukia-sama, she is ill but refuses to stay home and is instead trying to go to work."

He sighed and shut his eyes. "If she is well enough to tend to her duties, allow her to."

"You see? I am perfectly fine," Rukia agreed. "Now if you don't mind…" Rukia sat up and took a step out of bed, still in her Chappy the Rabbit pajamas, but only succeeded in losing her balance and nearly falling over. If it hadn't been for the servant's gasp, Byakuya would have kept his eyes shut and wouldn't have seen this take place.

Before she could hit the floor, he reached for her arm and steadied her.

"What was her temperature?" he questioned, his expression still unreadable and blank.

"39.7 degrees Celsius sir," the young woman answered. "I tried to convince her to go back to sleep but…" she grimaced.

"Rukia," he addressed. "Stay home today."

"But, Nii-sama, I-" before she could even finish the protest, she had to turn away from him and had another coughing fit.

He guided her back to bed. "You are not well enough to leave. If it really bothers you, I will explain to Captain Ukitake; I am sure he will understand."

She frowned in frustration, annoyed with the fact that she'd be wasting a day in bed, unable to get anything done.

"I'll get a cold compress to help with the fever and we'll bring you some breakfast soon Rukia-sama," the maid bowed her head with a small smile. "I am sorry that you can't go out today as you wished, but I'm glad you will get some well needed rest." With that, she left the room, leaving the two Kuchiki's alone.

"Nii-sama, do I really have to stay home all day?" Rukia asked, hoping he'd say no.

"Yes, Rukia, you do," he replied. "What good would you do for your sick captain if you yourself are ill?"

"Fine…" she sighed, grabbing her covers and curling up. "But I'm going tomorrow, whether I am better or not."

Byakuya smirked barely noticeably. She was so childishly stubborn at times, but it was amusing.

Without a word, he began to leave.

"Wait, Nii-sama," Rukia called before he was gone.

He paused. "Hm?"

"Have a good day today," she smiled.

He continued to walk away. "Get well soon, Rukia.


	2. Do As Told

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys! Thanks for the views and thanks to TheHedgehog22 and ArsinoetheXXVII for the reviews! :D **

**I really want to stay as true to the characters as possible, and I really adore this pairing, but I don't want to make a story with them totally OOC so I'll try my best! This is my first ****fic ever so any tips along the way will be greatly appreciated! Thanks to anyone who read, I hope you enjoyed and will continue to enjoy my works. :)**

Do As Told

"Captain! I went to the squad thirteen barracks today for lunch with Rukia but Captain Ukitake said she stayed home because she was sick! Is she all right?!" Renji, bursting into Byakuya's office, was questioning in panic.

"Abarai, how many times must I tell you to keep your composure? Did you even finish the work I assigned to you before taking a lunch break?" the captain demanded, not bothering to look up from the piles of papers on his desk.

"But, Captain! I just want to know if Rukia is okay!" his lieutenant persisted.

Byakuya rubbed his temple and sighed. How did he get stuck with such a rowdy subordinate?

"This morning she had a fever and a mild cough; I made her stay home despite her protests. I haven't heard any news of her condition getting worse so she'll most likely be back to work tomorrow," he explained. "Now, is that enough for you?"

Renji exhaled, relieved. "That's good to hear... I was really worried for a while! She never misses a day of duties..."

Getting agitated with his lieutenant's lack of work ethic, Byakuya gave Renji a cold glare. "Now that you know, get back to work or I'll double your load and I don't want another exclamation, do you understand?"

"Er... Yes Captain, thank you..."

_Honestly, can I not have peace at all today? _Byakuya thought. He did wonder how his sister was doing, but that wasn't important right now. What was important was that he signed all these forms and reviewed the reports stacking up before deadline_._

-LATER-

"Welcome home Kuchiki-sama!" one of the servants, Mako, greeted. "I trust you had a good day?"

"It was all right," he replied. He'd had to bring many of the forms home with him to be completed because of all the distractions throughout the day. There had been a surprising amount of people asking him about Rukia's wellbeing and it took time out of his work day. "How is Rukia doing?"

"Um, well..." Mako grimaced. "She isn't any worse than she was this morning, however..."

Byakuya hated it when people beat around the bush. He preferred straight, honest answers. "However?" he pushed, still wearing his trademark expression of no emotion.

"Rukia-sama has been a bit... difficult today. Not really troublesome, it's just that she refused to take any medicine, and she's tried to leave a few times to go to work..."

"She's been disobeying my order to stay and rest?"

"T-tried to sir, but only because she said she was feeling better." Mako obviously didn't like telling these things to Byakuya, he didn't want to rat out the young miss, but he was concerned about her health so he decided to anyway.

"Is she in her room now?" Byakuya asked.

"Yes sir, last I saw."

The clan leader, without another word, headed towards his sister's room. He knocked before entering, respecting a young woman's privacy, and once he heard the maid from within give him permission to enter, he did so.

"Rukia."

"Oh, welcome home my lord," the maid greeted with a smile from the bedside. She was swapping the cold compress on Rukia's forehead and also poured more water into the glass on the nightstand table.

"Hello, Nii-sama. How was your day?"

"Fine, until that hopeless lieutenant of mine found out about you being sick and half your barrack began asking me about your absence."

"Oh," she frowned, looking down at her hands. "I'm sorry for troubling you, Nii-sama..."

Byakuya sighed. "It's fine... However, I heard that you tried to leave? Also, you refuse to take any medication?"

Rukia looked up at him, "They told you?"

His brow raised and he gave her a look that seemed to say '_Are you really surprised by that?_' Sure enough, his words fit the expression. "Did you think they'd hide it from me?"

"No, Nii-sama, not at all! I just hoped that they wouldn't mention it unnecessarily..."

"As I recall, I told you to stay home today. Why did you try to go against my order?"

She fidgeted. "I got tired of sitting around, there was nothing to do and I wasn't feeling too bad..."

"And the medicine?"

"It's pointless, I'm already feeling better. Besides, it makes me nauseous and drowsy; I don't like it."

Byakuya glanced at the nightstand and saw the medicine sitting there, untouched. "Don't be such a child. It's supposed to make you sleep, and it's not made for flavor, it isn't candy."

"I'm still not taking it, it's absolutely disgusting..." she crossed her arms.

He was beginning to become a bit agitated, his patience, which seemed endless on the outside, was actually quite thin. The look he gave the maid signaled to her that it was time for her to go.

"Excuse me Kuchiki-sama, Rukia-sama, but I'll be going to help prepare supper now. Please let me know if you need anything," she bowed, then left the room in a bit of a hurry.

Byakuya went to the bedside table and opened the bottle of liquid medicine, pouring the proper dosage into the small measuring cup it came with. He handed the little cup to rukia, but she shook her head.

"I don't want it," she frowned.

"Rukia," he began. "As a noble woman, you shouldn't behave like a child. Take the medicine."

She hesitantly took the cup. Byakuya could feel the victory, but then she took a sniff of the liquid and handed it back.

"Rukia..."

She didn't say anything.

Byakuya sighed. None of the other maids had been able to persuade this stubborn girl to take her medicine today, even after they'd mentioned it was by his order. "Why must you be so difficult?"

He put the cup back in her hand. "Drink it. If the taste is really that awful to you, hold your breath while you gulp it down. It doesn't matter how you do it, just get it over with."

She really didn't want to upset her brother, so she took a deep breath. "Are you sure that will work, Nii-sama?" she asked shyly.

"It will help."

With those words of wisdom from her brother, she pinched her nose, squeezed her eyes shut, and quickly took down the medicine in one swig. After swallowing, she coughed and nearly gagged. Byakuya handed her the glass of water and she gladly accepted it gulping that down as well.

"What a terrible after taste!" she coughed out. "Nii-sama, it was still terrible!"

He blinked, seeming indifferent. "I said it would help, not that it would taste better."

She scowled at him; he'd tricked her! "You won't get me with that next time Nii-sama!"

"It's all right, your next dosage isn't for another twelve hours. I'm sure I'll think of other ways to make you take your medicine by then."

At that moment someone knocked on the door. "I beg your pardon, young lord and lady," one of the servants bowed, "but supper is ready. Rukia-sama, if you aren't feeling well enough, we can make something else to your liking and-"

"Oh, it's fine," she smiled gratefully. "I'm suddenly very eager for something to eat. I'm hoping it will cover up the fowl taste in my mouth from the medication I just consumed."

"You took it? Very good! I'm hoping you recover quickly, Lady Kuchiki!"

Byakuya allowed himself the faintest of smiles. It was all a bit amusing to him.

**So whatcha think? Not too OOC I hope? I tried to keep that blank facade of Byakuya's but I figured he would have even a little bit of emotion with Rukia, considering the fact that she is his sister and all... Either way, it's just the beginning so let's see how this little story turns out! :)**

**Once again, thanks to everyone that bothers to read! I will update often, I promise! (I have no life and lots of time on my hands LOL) And all reviews are greatly appreciated! Believe it or not, I take feedback very seriously, so don't hesitate to tell me if I make a mistake! After all, making a mistake, and not correcting it is making another mistake, right?**

**Thank You! :D**


	3. Soaked

**Author's** **Note \(^_^)/**

**Wow! Thanks for the support guys! Honestly, I've been writing much more often just because of your encouragement, I'm not even kidding. I have decided that I will be posting a new chapter pretty much every other day, two days at most (I write during class a bunch) so yes, I will be updating frequently! Also, I'm trying to make the future chapters longer so as we go along with this story, I will be working on that. **

**Thank you, and I hope you enjoy this one! **

* * *

Soaked

"Is there anything else you'd like, Miss Rukia-sama?"

"No, I'm quite all right. Thank you..."

The maid lowered her head and curtsied with a smile. "Please do not hesitate to call on me, Lady Kuchiki."

She then left, leaving Rukia alone in her room. The raven haired girl changed into her night yukata, thinking about current events.

_**(flashback)**_

_Dinner had been quiet, as usual, aside from the occasional discussion about happenings in the seireitei. _

_After he was done, plate cleared, Byakuya rose out of his seat and directed his attention towards his sister. "Once you finish up with everything, head straight to bed."_

_"But Nii-sama , I-"_

_"Rukia, how do you expect to recover if you do not get the rest required to do so?" he'd interrupted._

_She'd said nothing to him in reply. He was right, as always._

_He began to walk out of the dining room, knowing he'd won the discussion, and passed by the girl without another word._

_**(end)**_

Rukia was now in her pajamas, ready for bed, but she wasn't tired at all! After being locked up indoors all day, all she really wanted was some time outside.

Unsure, she slid open her chamber door and poked her head out. She looked left down the hallway, she looked right. There was no light coming from her brother's bedroom, so she assumed he'd already gone to bed. The area was clear. Time to carry out her little plan.

Very quietly, Rukia tip-toed down the hall, ducking into a near room when she heard footsteps, or any sound that may have signaled that the clan leader was roaming about. At last, she'd made it out, taking a deep breath.

The sweet scent of sakura from the trees and the freshly cut greenery filled her nostrils. Never before had she appreciated the scent of the garden so much. Walking along the small trail through the trees and plants, she observed everything. Every delicate flower gently swaying in the light breeze, the soft rustling sound of the wind through the trees, the glistening koi pond with it's perfectly clear water, her brother standing next to it, also observing the pond under the moonlight.

Byakuya!

It had taken her a moment to realize the situation. She couldn't afford to get caught by her Nii-sama! He'd surely scold her and become agitated with her repeated disobediance.

_What should I do? He'll hear me if I try to retreat from this distance..._ Rukia strategized, looking around for some sort of reprieve. She took note of the tree closest and quickly hid behind it. _As long as I contain my spirit energy and wait until Nii-sama goes back to bed, I should be fine... _

While sitting there, waiting, she kept watch, making sure that her spot was in fact secure and out of Byakuya's attention.

She couldn't help but notice how graceful and proud he seemed, even by just standing still in that one place. His hair shined under the glow of the moon, his skin pale and smooth, his expression making him appear to be in a daze of some sort. She couldn't help but notice how much his expression had softened now compared to how it was usually so serious and blank throughout the day, how he was so relaxed. In that short moment, Rukia saw what many other women in the soul society saw in him. A prince, a true blue-blooded noble that was handsome and apparently perfect.

xxxxxx

_Finally, I can have my peace,_ Byakuya thought to himself.

Everything in the Kuchiki manor was well tended, from the shine of the wooden flooring to the dusting of the ceiling. The yards were no exception. The grass was kept at a perfect two inch height, the rocks surrounding the koi pond are cleaned regularly, every tree trimmed neatly... The garden was extraordinary this time of year, especially at night. The moonlight reflected off of the water's surface, making it appear to glow, and cherry blossoms were beginning to bloom. It was Byakuya's favorite place to think, a place that was quiet and beautiful. Here he had time to himself; the others let him be to enjoy his time to unwind.

It seemed that tonight however, he wouldn't be alone for long.

"Rukia..." he called. "I know you are there, I can still feel your reiatsu."

The girl, who'd been hiding behind a nearby tree, reluctantly came out from cover. She was is her night yukata, as was he. Her hair had an ominous shine from the moonlight, her dark eyes seeming luminous. _She is beautiful_, Byakuya thought. It was in moments like these when she reminded him of Hisana, his late wife.

They both were very different, each their own, but they had some similar traits such as the proud way they carried themselves, their violet eyes, the onyx colored hair... However, Hisana was very fragile, due to her health, and feminine. Rukia, in comparison, was strong and although polite and ladylike, she was also very stubborn and independent.

"What are you doing out of bed, Rukia?" Byakuya asked.

"I'm sorry Nii-sama... I wanted some fresh air after being in the house today," she explained. "But I hadn't realized you were still out and didn't want to disturb you."

"So you hid behind a tree?" he questioned. Although he didn't show it, he thought it was quite funny. He could just barely see how her face had warmed up after being caught and how she was finally realizing how silly she had been in the first place to hide. "You also forgot to suppress your reiatsu, Rukia. You really must work on your stealth."

"Y-You're right, Nii-sama. I am sorry to have bothered you," she apologized sheepishly, lowering her head.

_Why am I so embarrassed?_ _Baka Rukia! _the girl wondered, beginning to scold herself.

"I am not bothered," her brother said. She looked up again, being respectful, but she found that he was once again watching the koi fish. "You too have the right to be in the garden, you do not need to hide from me, Rukia."

"Oh, I see..." For some reason, those words from her dear Nii-sama reassured her, making her smile at the thought of him not minding her presence during his supposed 'alone time'. Hesitantly, she joined his side, glad he hadn't scolded her or sent her back to her room instead.

"Are you feeling well?" Byakuya asked, now intently studying the surrounding sakura petals falling from the trees.

"Yes, I am feeling much better actually! Thank you for asking Nii-sama," she replied warmly.

There was a moment of silence between the two, until Byakuya remembered the incident from earlier. "It was the medicine, wasn't it?" he inquired. The clan leader allowed himself the slightest of sly smiles, remembering her reaction to it.

"I'm still not taking it again..." she trailed, sounding as if she were a child pouting after not getting her way. He must have been right.

Not wanting to think about the dreadful fluid, because just thinking about it brought back the horrid flavor, Rukia knelt down closer to the water, wanting a better look.

Although he knew he shouldn't, he took that time to watch her from the corner of his eye. He did that more often, he noticed. He'd begun to catch himself just studying her, examining her every movement when nearby. Byakuya didn't know why he did that, it confused him. Perhaps it was just his brotherly over protection kicking in? Though that didn't quite fit, it was the only reasoning he could think of.

"Look Nii-sama! There are frogs sitting on the lilly pads," his sister pointed out. "They're actually quite cute! Don't you think?"

"Yes, they are," he agreed, not bothering to even glance at the frogs, only keeping his gaze fixated on where it already was.

He could hear the little chorus of croaks emanating from the critters that had captured her attention, he could hear them hoping from one pad to the next. His attention wasn't on them; you'd think he'd still have noticed before it happened, however...

"Gah!" Rukia gasped out in surprise, a frog landing on her head. "Nii-sama, please get it off!" she requested, unable shake the thing.

"Hold still..." he sighed, trying his hardest not to burst out into laughter. Here was his dear little sister, startled half to death, trying to throw off this little frog that was now hiding in her hair somewhere. He couldn't see it very well, it was too dark out, but he could still hear it, taunting them. _Ribbit. Ribbit. Ribbit._

Rukia, still struggling, lost her footing along the edge of the pond.

"Rukia! I told you to-"

_*****_**SPLASH**_*****_

Before he could finish his statement, the two had fallen into the water, now soaked with frogs scrambling away.

Immediately, Rukia put her head down to apologize. "I am so sorry Nii-sama!" she began. "I should have been more careful; because of me..." She looked up at her brother... and tried not to giggle. Byakuya, now with a very annoyed look on his face, had his arms crossed, and a lilly pad on his head. She thought that he probably hadn't noticed it, because if he had, he surely would have thrown it off by now. "I... ap- apolo..." She couldn't hold it in. As hard as she desperately tried, she couldn't hold back the laughter. Here they were, dripping in the pond, surrounded by frogs and covered with lilly pads. Add in Byakuya's demeanor and obvious agitation and you had quite an odd sight indeed.

He only glared at her, waiting for her to finish laughing her head off.

"Honestly, I am sorry Nii-sama, I just couldn't contain myself!" she once again apologized, now catching her breath, wiping ears from her eyes.

He didn't say anything, he merely turned around and headed back to the tree they'd been standing next to. She followed, still fighting the giggles, but now also worried about the change in her brother's attitude from moments ago.

Since she was so much shorter, her clothes were completely drenched. His however, were relatively dry from his abdomen up because he was so much taller and the water didn't seem to go up so high for him. Now that they were out of the water, the light breeze began to send chills through Rukia, who was shivering, holding onto the damp fabric encompassing her.

Without warning, her Nii-sama threw something over her head. It was his night robe, the one he'd been wearing. She turned around to find her brother bare chested, his porcelain skin seeming to glow under the moon as he began wringing out the water from his hair. Her cheeks flared at the sight. _Baka Rukia! Stop reacting like that! There is nothing to be embarrassed about!_

"You are sick, you must stay warm," he explained, his eyes closed. He didn't sound mad, but knowing him, he could easily cover up his emotions. "Hurry inside and change into something dry."

"Th-thank you..." she nodded. No more giggles. She wasn't fighting the laughter anymore, but now she was fighting her embarrassment and the crimson glow that came with it. Rukia now had a butterfly feeling in her stomach that had replaced the bubbly feeling she'd had when laughing in the pond.

Her brother, being incredibly impatient now, grabbed her hand to lead the way back to the house. "This time, you should probably do as I say and go to bed."

She couldn't find her voice. How could she have behaved so irresponsibly? There was no doubt that her brother must have thought it was amazing how immature she had been recently!

_Great! Make it worse for yourself! _she sighed inwardly.

But still, the feeling of her hand in his was warm and only encouraged the butterflies.

Finally, they'd stepped back inside. The walk back seemed so much shorter! Perhaps it was because she wasn't paying attention to the trip, just who it was with.

"Oh my! What happened to you two?" a servant wondered, completely confused.

"Do not ask," Byakuya said plainly to the bewildered servant. "Just bring fresh towels to our rooms."

"Y-yes, right away!"

He still had Rukia's hand in his, hurrying through the halls at his quick pace, his sister struggling to keep up.

They stopped in front of her room. He opened the door and walked right in, stopping in front of her nightstand table.

"You kept apologizing outside?" Byakuya recalled. He released her and instead grabbed the medicine bottle, once again pouring the accurate dosage. "If you really are, you wouldn't mind drinking this. It is a bit past time for you to take it, so you have to either way."

He handed her the little measuring cup, and left her there, still wearing his robe. The maid walked in just after with the towels he had requested for her.

* * *

**I know, I know! But I wanted this chapter to only hint at things to come, not become a spoiler. I couldn't make it all fluffy and spoil everything no matter how much I may have wanted to :( I also tried to make sure Byakuya didn't get too OOC so I'm hoping that it didn't get too bad... **

**Whether you review, follow, etc. or not, just the fact that you are reading makes a huge difference! Thank you all for putting up with me, pushing me to work on this, and for all the advice I received :D  
**

**I promise to get better and better with experience! :) **


	4. Cured But Still Sick

**Author's Note!**

**Originally, this was supposed to be part of the last chapter I wrote up until: **"Wait, what?" Rukia blinked, thinking his words over. "That's not fair! I had to stay home _and_ you made me drink that nasty stuff!" **and then I was going to make Byakuya smirk and say something witty and that would have been the end of last posted chapter. Everything after that line was _never_ supposed to exist! (Just thought you'd like to know this little fun fact)**

**However, since I forgot to add it in, and didn't want to post such a tiny piece as a chapter by itself, I just started this chapter with that and went with it. Basically, this chapter wasn't planned at all and I kinda just winged it... Either way, it's here now and I hope that you like it. Writing this little 'bonus' chapter threw me off and it didn't end up going in the direction I had planned. I think I like how this turned out more though, so I won't complain!**

**Sorry I took so long to update; my internet connection has been a total butt munch and I haven't been able to log in and post! I think the problem has been fixed now though so I should be back on track!**

**Okay, enough of my jabbering! Please enjoy! (/^_^)/**

* * *

Cured But Still Sick

"Good morning!"

The maid, startled by Rukia's energy this early in the day, responded sheepishly. "Oh, good morning, Miss Kuchiki!"

The raven haired girl was radiant and ready to start the day, already dressed with Sode No Shirayuki tied around her hip.

"Please Rukia-sama, eat something before you go," the cook of the house suggested.

At that moment, her stomach growled. She finally had her appetite back after being sick and now that she'd just thought about it, she realized just how starving she felt.

She sat down at the large dining table and a servant brought her a plate of food accompanied by some fresh hot tea.

"Thank you very much," she smiled gratefully. _What a nice morning,_ she thought, admiring how sunny it looked outside. It was going to be a good day!

That was, until...

"Oh, Kuchiki-sama! Did you catch that terrible cold as well?" a maid had worried, catching Rukia's attention.

Byakuya was dressed, ready to go as well, but he had dark circles under his eyes and his hair wasn't perfectly in his hairpieces as it always was, his scarf a bit unevenly placed. He looked as if he hadn't slept at all.

"Would you like anything, sir?"

He waved her off and sat down across from Rukia.

"Good morning, Nii-sama," Rukia greeted. "How are you feeling...?"

He cleared his throat. The cook brought out the fresh pot of tea and poured Byakuya a cup as well. "It will help whether you are catching a cold or recovering from one," he smiled shyly, hoping Byakuya accepts.

"Thank you," her brother said quietly. His voice seemed a bit gruff and little bit deeper due to the cold. "It seems that I caught it last night just before bed."

"You mean when the two of you came back in here soaked to the bone?" the maid asked. "What happened? Was everything all right?"

Byakuya set his cup down. "It's fine, but we need to do something about all the frogs in the garden pond. Apparently they frighten Rukia when too close."

The girl across from him turned pink at having heard his explanation. "I am not frightened of them!" she disagreed, blushing. "It's just that they surprised me..."

"Hmph," Byakuya scoffed, drinking more tea.

"Excuse me, Kuchiki-sama," a maid cut in before an argument could ensue. "Have you taken your medicine?"

He smiled, glancing over at his sister. "From what I hear, it tastes awful, and since I _am_ going to work, I will merely stop by the squad four barracks to ask Captain Unohana for something else instead."

"Wait, what?" Rukia blinked, thinking his words over. "That's not fair! I had to stay home _and_ you made me drink that nasty stuff!"

"Are you saying that you will make me stay home, Rukia? That _you_ will make me take that medication?"

She answered simply, "Yes."

"How would you plan on doing that, Rukia?" Byakuya, now an eyebrow raised, wondered. There was no way she could tell him what to do. Her efforts were futile against the leader of the Kuchiki clan.

The maids and other servants were now listening intently. No one ever talked to Kuchiki-sama this way.

"I..." she began. She hadn't thought about it. Now she was scraping her brain, trying to figure out how. It wasn't as if she held any authority over him at all, and she couldn't just over power him... What could she do?

"Ah, I see, you didn't think that far ahead did you," her brother observed. Byakuya sighed, "Face it Rukia, this plan of yours will not work. You cannot make me-"

"I'll stay home as well!" she interrupted.

He was taken aback by her sudden declaration, however, all he did was stare at her, waiting for her to continue with an explanation to her decision.

"Nii-sama, I will stay home as well, and I will do as you say for today..." Rukia proposed, hoping this would be enough.

"What do you think servants are for, Rukia?" he retorted, holding back a chuckle as he watched the poor girl struggle to think of any better plan. He knew how much she hated missing work, so that idea of hers just showed him how much she wanted to win this squabble. _Silly_ _girl__... _he thought. _She really should have thought things through before jumping into this. Should I maybe throw her a bone?_

"How about this..." Byakuya smirked. "You stay home and care for any of my needs personally all day long, and you'll have yourself a deal." _This could prove to be amusing. Besides, I honestly don't need her distracting Renji by visiting the squad six barracks, even if it is to pick up paperwork._

"All right, looks like we're in agreement," Rukia smiled back smugly. It was still basically her idea after all...

"Well, now that it is all sorted out..." Byakuya handed her his cup and began to stand. "You can start by bringing me more tea, leaving it on my night table. Once that is done, you can ready my bed and sleeping attire; I wish to retire to my room." And with that, he left the dinning room.

The raven haired girl sighed. "What have I gotten myself into..."

"Relax, Miss Kuchiki. Kuchiki-sama shouldn't be too difficult with you. Actually, he's a rather considerate young master," the nearest maid smiled. "We'll help you as well."

"Thank you," Rukia replied. "For some reason, I feel as though I'll be needing it..."

-Not Much Later-

"There you go! Everything you've asked for has been taken care of, Nii-sama!" Rukia felt accomplished. Byakuya had made her brew him tea, make his bed, bring him breakfast, replenish countless refills of water, hand wash his precious scarf, and she'd just finished ironing his captain haori.

She left the articles of clothing to hang properly in his wardrobe, which held many of his other important garments. "Is there anything you need Ni-"

She stopped. She'd been about to ask for another task, but as she'd turned to face him, she found that her brother had dozed off. He slept on his side, and arm beneath his pillow under his head, the other resting on the bed. His hair, loose and somehow still tangle free, was spread across the pillow beneath him, his sheets sliding down to reveal a bit of his bare skin. He'd decided to sleep shirtless since he'd developed a slight fever, and sweat was beginning to form on his forehead.

Rukia quietly left the room, returning with a damp washcloth to place on her brother's head, and the bottle of medicine from before. "Honestly..." she sighed. "How does he expect to get any better without any kind of treatment?"

Opening the dreadful bottle, not daring to breathe in the disgusting scent, Rukia poured out the appropriate dosage so that he could drink it once he awoke.

Gently wiping his face with the washcloth, she noticed her brother's breathing. Each breath he took was deep and rhythmic, quiet and barely audible. _Oh, of coarse, _Rukia grumbled in her head. _Of coarse the perfect Byakuya Kuchiki doesn't snore._

She almost wanted to laugh. Was there no end to the perfections he had? She brushed aside a lock of his bangs that had begun to fall into his face, her fingertips lingering in his silky, fine hair a bit longer than needed...

Byakuya began to stir. His eyes slowly opened, and soon he noticed his sister lightly patting his head with a cool, wet, cloth.

She hadn't realized he had woken up until she heard him ask, "What are you doing?"

He was _now_ looking up at a slightly unnerved Rukia, whom was clutching the cloth and had drawn back, away from him.

"You have a fever, and you were sweating, so I was just trying to help you cool off a bit... Sorry for waking you, Nii-sama," she explained apologetically.

He didn't say anything. He merely closed his eyes once again. She waited for him to say something, anything, but he didn't.

"Um, brother?"

"Hm?" he replied.

"Is it all right if I continue?"

"Yes, it is fine, Rukia..."

Gently, she stroked his hair, wiping away sweat with the washcloth whenever she needed to. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep once again.

Rukia smiled, observing how peaceful he looked while asleep. There was no blank, emotionless expression, and not a trace of worry. It was soothing to see him so unguarded; he seemed almost vulnerable.

When she was sure she wouldn't wake him up, she stopped, quietly leaving the room and sliding the door shut, to take care of other matters while he rested.

-Later-

"I said it before and I shall say it only once more," Byakuya grimaced. "I refuse to take in that ungodly fluid."

"Nii-sama, I took it and it made me feel so much better! I mean you said so yourself that I should take it," Rukia encouraged, holding the measuring cup out to him. She then tried her best to quote his words from before, mimicking his voice as best she could. "'Don't be such a child. It's supposed to make you sleep, and it's not made for flavor, it isn't candy. You are a noble, you shouldn't behave like a child. Take the medicine.'"

She giggled after the words escaped her mouth, watching Byakuya glare at her.

"Tell me you weren't making an attempt to sound like me..." he sighed. "If so, that was quite a poor attempt, Rukia."

"Hey, it's the best I could do!" she defended. "I'm not a tall, handsome, all-around perfect, nobleman; I'm a young lady! There's a significant difference in our voices and I thought I did rather well!"

Byakuya stopped arguing with her, and once again allowed himself to smile a little. It was funny how much it pleased him to hear her say such things about him, although she said them to try proving her point. Flattery is something he'd grown immune to, however it was still pleasant to hear from her. He didn't know the reason, and taking time to think about it, he still didn't understand why.

"Just drink the medicine, Nii-sama..." Rukia pushed on once again, a new idea now forming in her head. "Unless..." she trailed off.

"Unless?" he questioned, once again paying attention to the conversation.

"Unless the famous Byakuya Kuchiki is actually not mature enough to even chug a small bit of liquid medicine? Unless he's just... _chickening_ out..." she teased.

"Do not be ridiculous." The glare in his eye returned.

"How cute, big brother is too scared to take his medicine? Even after his little sister has already had it?" she began to use baby talk, antagonizing him.

Without a moment of hesitation, he grabbed her hand, the one holding the cup, and took it down without a moment to spare.

"I will not allow you to mock me as such," he clarified. He didn't _show_ any signs of the desire to throw it all back up so Rukia stared in awe... He then coughed, and leaned back on his stacked pillows. "That truly was disgusting," was all he said afterwards, a frown now showing his true reaction.

"Well, at least you took it; now you probably won't have to worry about it again," she smiled. "It wasn't so bad, right?"

In response he glanced over at his zanpakuto, Senbonzakura, that was set against the wall not very far away and whispered almost inaudibly, "Scatter."

A beautiful cloud of pink petals floated about soon after, surrounded the bottle, and smashed it. The medicine now leaked all over the floor.

"You're right, I won't have to worry about it," he agreed. "Now, could you pick that up for me?" he asked her, his zanpakuto returning to its original form.

Rukia, disbelieving he actually used his attack to destroy the bottle, went to get some cleaning rags and a bucket for the glass.

-Later-

Byakuya had slept for a long while after he'd taken his medicine. Rukia would occasionally check his fever and accordingly apply a new washcloth to his forehead when there was an increase in temperature. He slept soundly for the most part, and soon, suppertime had arrived.

For dinner, Rukia had brought Byakuya's food into his chamber, setting a tray next to him on the bed so he could remain comfortable. She did not wish to wake him, but figured that he would like to eat. Gently, she gave him a light shake to break his slumber.

"How are you feeling now, Nii-sama?" she asked as she waited for him to open his eyes.

"Better," he replied, beginning to sit up. He had a wave of dizziness crash over him from the sudden flow of blood rushing to his head after laying down for so long. Rukia helped him and stacked his pillows behind his back to allow him to recline while sitting up.

He cleared his throat and thanked her.

"I hope your appetite is all right, I brought you your dinner..." she smiled.

He glanced over at the food she had indeed brought, and observed a small matter. "There are two servings?"

"Yes, well, the second is mine. I didn't think you would want to eat by yourself, so I figured that I would join you..." she explained, a faint blush beginning to show on her cheeks. "But it was inconsiderate of me, it is your room after all so if you would like me to leave, Nii-sama I-"

"Stay with me," Byakuya interrupted her mid-sentence.

"Huh?" Her faint blush deepened, her cheeks now a bright pink.

"I am quite sure you heard me," he remarked. "Must I repeat myself, Rukia?"

"N-no, I understand," she replied.

There was a silence between the two as they ate. She couldn't stop thinking about the straightforward way he'd told her to stay, still a bit pink, while he couldn't stop wondering _why_ he'd asked her to do so.

He couldn't wrap his head around why he'd abruptly said such a thing. He had more self-control than that! Besides, it didn't matter if she stayed with him or not, right? Why should it possibly matter to him?

-Later-

_"_It's so long and so soft..." Rukia sighed. "How do you get it to feel so silky, Nii-sama?" She was amazed. Of coarse it'd be perfect, this was Byakuya Kuchiki after all!

Rukia was brushing her brother's hair after he'd come out of his bath and had changed into his night wear. When she'd asked him if she could do so, he hadn't said anything, he merely sat down on the bed, waiting, and she crawled up to sit behind him with a comb and brush. Now she was a bit jealous of how nice Byakuya's hair was; he didn't even try to make it as such! He used basic cleaning products, he did nothing extraordinary, it was just _naturally_ that way.

Rukia ran a hand through her own locks. She used expensive shampoo and conditioner, had to blow dry her hair so it would stay in the proper shape, but it was all effortless for him.

"Honestly, it's not fair," she pouted, once again brushing his hair.

"Life is not fair, Rukia. Surely you know that," he replied, hiding his smirk.

"Yes, yes, I know..." she nodded, still brushing. "But still, I wish it were as easy for me as well."

His hair was still a little damp from taking a shower, and the scent of sakura emanated from him. Rukia couldn't help but notice the sweet smell, allowing herself to take in the scent. It was as if she'd been presented with an actual cherry blossom and it was sitting right in front of her.

"I thought you wanted to brush my hair," Byakuya began, "but you've just been sitting there. What are you doing?"

"Oh! Nothing, Nii-sama, I just dazed out a bit..." Rukia answered, thanking the heavens that he had his back to her and he could not see the pink in her cheeks.

After a moment of silence, Byakuya glanced back at her. "Rukia, come here," was all he said, pointing to the spot in front of him on the bed.

Hesitantly, she did as told.

"Give me the brush," he instructed. She complied.

"Brother, what are you-" she started to ask, but stopped herself when he began to brush _her_ hair.

She didn't question him, she didn't protest, but rather enjoyed the soothing feeling of having her hair brushed by him. Although she didn't expect him to do something like this, it didn't feel awkward or odd at all. In fact, she liked it quite a bit. It was relaxing, and pretty soon, she began to doze off...

* * *

**I know! It took forever to post this, but my computer is back up and running and I was able to update FINALLY! You have no idea how upset I was that I couldn't get this up earlier like I'd said before. I like updating regularly, and I even had this chapter written up on my computer, ready to be posted just before this hunk of junk computer decided it didn't want to be compatible and blah blah (insert tech talk here)... **

**Anyway****, now that that is all over with and I had my little rant... There it was! Hope you liked it! :D**

**I wonder what this little day of 'Nurse Rukia' will lead to...? *cough cough cough* **

**All right****, you're probably tired of reading all my yapping, that is, if you even bothered to read it (in which case I applaud you) so I'll stop there.**

**Currently, it is October 31st so Happy Halloween everyone!**

**No, I don't celebrate the actual holiday, I just get a costume and trick or treat for candy (Yes, even though I'm a high schooler. Yeah, I know I'm cool ;P ) so I hope everyone was safe and had a fun night :)**

**So, until next time (which _will_ be VERY soon because I'm back on track)! **

**Thank you everyone for putting up with me and the technical difficulties!**

**-KC **


	5. Thinking Back

Thinking Back

It was bright this morning; some sunlight was pouring in through the bedroom window. Rukia was cuddled up in her covers, hugging her dear Chappy the Rabbit plush doll. As the light penetrated the room, she began to fidget.

_Why are the window curtains pulled open? _she wondered, trying to ignore the light by hiding her face in her pillow. However, that too, set her off. _Why does this smell so sweet?_

Slowly, she snapped out of her drowsiness. She opened her eyes a little bit. Her dear Chappy doll that she'd been hugging was actually a pillow. The familiar scent grew increasingly recognizable as she realized why the pillows and sheets smelled like... like...

_Sakura!_ She finally figured, bolting upright. Sure enough, this was her Nii-sama's room, and she was in his bed. She quickly glanced over to the other side, but it was empty.

"What am I doing in here?!" Rukia asked aloud, bright red, trying to remember how she'd ended up like this. She'd slept in Byakuya's bed? Why? What? How? When?

The clan head must have already left, Senbonzakura no where to be found.

_I can't believe I fell asleep in here! I'm sure he's going to be mad when he sees me... Baka Rukia!_

A sudden knocking on the door made the girl's heart stop.

"Come in..." she called, somewhat hoping that the Kuchiki captain wouldn't be the one at the door.

"Miss Rukia-sama..." a maid greeted. "I was told to wake you this morning and to allow you to sleep in a bit longer. Breakfast is ready in the dining room and your shinigami robes have been set out for you in your chambers..."

"Thank you," Rukia replied, getting up out of the bed. She began to fix it up but the maid cut in.

"Don't worry Miss Kuchiki, I can make the bed," she smiled. "And I'm sure you'd like to know that the young lord is feeling very well once again. He seemed back to his old self. You must have taken care of him well!"

The raven haired girl sighed, "That's good to know... I mean, he did take that medicine so-"

"You succeeded?" the girl interrupted in shock. "You truly are astounding Lady Rukia! No one ever persuades Kuchiki-sama to take his medicine. That explains the broken bottle that was thrown out, doesn't it?"

Rukia laughed, "Yes, he did that afterwards so he wouldn't have to take it again."

The maid giggled as well, and Rukia's spirits were back up. Perhaps he wouldn't be _too_ upset with her. He was, after all, well again. And wasn't he the one that let her sleep in?

With the realization that her brother was being thoughtful towards her, she rushed to get ready and couldn't wait for lunch time later. She always had lunch with Renji, but that wasn't her reason for stopping by the Squad 6 barrack during her break today. Today, she just wanted to see Byakuya.

xxxxxx

"Captain! Good to have you back!"

"We were so worried..."

"Happy to see you well again!"

Many members of Squad 6 greeted their captain as he walked through the barracks.

"You rarely ever take a sick-leave, we were all so surprised!"

He was getting tired of the constant chit-chat. Finally in his office, Byakuya shut the door, but unfortunately someone was already in there as well and he knew he wouldn't be able to avoid this one.

"Captain!" Renji greeted. "Glad to see you've returned!" His lieutenant had his hands full of files, his desk was also covered in paperwork, and Byakuya's wasn't much better.

"Renji," the captain sighed, emotionless as always. "What did you do in my absence?"

"Trust me Captain, I've so busy working, but it all just keeps piling up and it kept coming in! I couldn't keep up with it all!"

Renji tripped over another stack that was sitting on the floor, landing on his backside with all the papers that had been in his hands now flying up into the air.

Captain Kuchiki gave him a cold glare. "_Abarai_, pick this up. You'll be working through lunch it seems."

"But-" Renji began to protest. Another glance from his superior shut him up. Instead he sighed and gathered the scattered reports.

Byakuya sat behind his desk, observing all the stacks that awaited him. Even _he_ may even be working late tonight.

Minutes passed and the two men were silently taking down the towers of paperwork, until Renji grew restless and asked, "Captain, how is Rukia doing? Is she feeling okay as well? She didn't show up yesterday either so..."

Byakuya didn't look up, but his pen stopped moving and he now simply stared at the paper before him. Why did it annoy him? To hear Renji ask about his sister, sounding so worried... He felt agitated. It was absolutely pointless to feel this way, the two of them had grown up together through hardships, they were best friends, so why should it bother him so much?

On top of that, having her name mentioned reminded him of what had happened yesterday and this morning.

_**(flashback)**_

_It was the middle of the night now, and Byakuya had begun to awake. __However, when he opened his eyes, he was not alone._

_A small figure was curled up against him atop the covers, the faint moonlight shining down on her black hair._

Hisana? _he immediately thought. He hadn't shared his bed with anyone but her, and especially not since she'd passed so many years ago. At last, he realized the situation. Still, it had caught him off guard._

_"Rukia..." he called quietly. She was there, hugging a pillow, nearly shivering but definitely asleep; she didn't react to her name being said._

We must have dozed off unintentionally, _Byakuya pieced together. But what was he to do now? __He was debating whether he should wake her up and send her to her room, or just let her stay. Hesitantly, he reached out to touch her arm, and she stirred lightly. Her skin was cool, and if he studied carefully, he could see the little dark circles under her eyes. She was truly tired, and a bit cold._

_Despite better judgment, he just couldn't bother her slumber, couldn't send her away to her room after all she'd done for him that day._

Perhaps I did request a bit much of her today,_ Byakuya reflected. Rukia had done all he'd asked, and more. No wonder she was so __exhausted! Seeing her like this, so delicate and vulnerable... He just wanted to protect her, to care for her. He found himself unconsciously drawn closer and closer, stopping himself._

What is wrong with me? Am I not Byakuya Kuchiki? Do I not have proper self-control? _he chastised. _

_Once again turning his attention to the girl next to him, he made a decision. _

_Very carefully, as to not wake her, he got out of the bed, lifted her up a bit, and pulled the covers out from beneath her. When she would stir, he would pause and wait for all movement to stop, then continue. Finally, he set her back down and covered her up. Her body seemed much more relaxed now, more comfortable. She even smiled a little, now warm and cozy.__  
_

_By the time he got to his side, she was in the middle of the __mattress. _

That girl, honestly... _He sighed to himself. Back in his respective side, his back to his sister, pretending she wash't there, he tried to return to sleep, but just couldn't. He knew she was next to him, close, warm, not even at arms length... Unable to resist himself, he turned over to look at her once more. __  
_

_He noticed many things about her these past few days that he never really paid attention to __before. He noticed how easily she could turn scarlet, how sensitive she was to his words and how easily embarrassed she became. He noticed how she would put off her own desires for his sake, and would go out of her way to take care of him without being asked to do so. He noticed her warm smile and how it made him feel even just a bit nicer, how her eyes dazzled when he said even the slightest thing to her that could be taken as praise. He noticed how much she was affected by him... and he liked it._

_Why? He couldn't answer that, and that infuriated him. Not knowing why bothered him more than anything. All the time he thought about it, and still he didn't know._

_Byakuya turned onto his back now, staring at the ceiling, determined to rest, to fight any distractions._

_However, he felt an arm wrap around his abdomen, and knew immediately that there wasn't going to be a time without distractions tonight._

_Rukia was hugging him as if he were the pillow from before, her makeshift plush toy._

_"Chappy..." she sighed happily in her sleep, burying her face in his chest. He was frozen, arms up, hovering over her body, trying not to touch her._

_What now? How could he possibly deal with this?_

_"B..Byakuya..." she spoke again. _

Did she just say my name? Did she address me without any honorifics? _Byakuya thought, bewildered. She'd never addressed him so loosely, even when it was just the two of them. Was she dreaming? Why was he in her dream? What was she dreaming about? So many questions ran through his brain all at once!_

_Unsure, he slowly lowered his arm around her, not knowing what else to do. She seemed pleased, snuggling closer._

What have I gotten myself into?_ her Nii-sama wondered, unable to escape now. But secretly, although he'd never admit it, he didn't want to escape her grasp. Somehow, he liked this feeling of closeness, of comfort. After getting settled, it really didn't take very long for him to fall asleep._

Good-night Rukia... Sweet dreams...

-LATER-

_When morning came around, being an early bird, Byakuya awoke __first. The two of them had stayed close the entire night, and he was now the one with his arms around her waist holding her close. How did he do such a thing in his subconscious?! Detangling himself, he allowed some sunlight into the room through the window, and got dressed in the restroom. After eating, he ordered a maid to allow her to sleep in a bit more, that he was leaving first. _

_Before departing however, he took one last look at Rukia, laying in his bed, bawled up in the sheets, her face now looking well rested, hair disheveled, his scent all over her, and bent over to kiss her forehead. _

_"Good-bye, Rukia," he allowed himself to smile before exiting the room._

_**(end)**  
_

"Er, Captain?"

Byakuya sighed, done recalling the previous night. Renji had been waiting for an answer, but his captain had been sitting quietly, deep in thought.

"She is fine, Renji. She will be fulfilling her duties today as well," the superior informed.

"Oh, good to hear..." his lieutenant smiled, relieved to hear of Rukia's wellbeing. "I'll have lunch with her today as usual just to see for myself if she needs anything..."

"Do not fret and get back to work," Byakuya instructed, tired of listening to Abarai's worried tone and his plans to see Rukia.

_Rukia..._ he repeated in his head. Renji would be working through lunch, and Byakuya himself hadn't seen her off this morning. Perhaps she would come by today instead of waiting for her red haired friend?

_Even if she does, she'd be coming for lunch with him not me. Why should I care?_ But Byakuya grimaced. Thinking that she wouldn't stop by to see him instead of his idiot lieutenant bothered him even more!

_Such unfamiliar emotions... What is this? This sudden agitation towards the two? It can't be... jealousy? Me? Byakuya Kuchiki? Jealous of my ill-mannered, imbecile of a lieutenant? Impossible. The mere thought of it makes make me want to laugh... _

But no matter how much he denied it, he was right. Byakuya Kuchiki was jealous of the attention Renji got from his sister. _His_ Rukia.

Another thing Byakuya overlooked was just how possessive he was becoming over her, and how many times he'd had to lie to himself about why he felt these things. Tossing it all aside as brotherly protection over his sibling, he could push it all down a little bit. But as we all know, the lightest spark may start a fire.

xxxxxx

"Captain Ukitake-sama, is there anything else you'd like me to assist you with before I take leave for lunch?"

"Rukia, you've done plenty! You've already caught up with all you missed and even took care of my paperwork! Go on, take a break," Ukitake smiled.

She bowed her head. "Thank you, Captain!" She used shunpo and made her way to meet with Renji.

She stopped short before the gates of Squad 6, smoothed her wind blown hair, and straightened her uniform.

_Why am I __adjusting myself? _she wondered. _It can't be that I'm trying to impress... _

She shook her head, clearing the thought before she could finish it. But now that she'd started to think about him, it was hard not to. She couldn't help but think about what had happened with her beloved Nii-sama the past few days, a light blush coming to her cheeks...

_No! I am Rukia Kuchiki of the Kuchiki clan! I will not let him see me like this! _Walking through the gates, she kept her head up, not letting herself look down at the ground, fighting the butterflies that rose in her stomach as she soon approached the double doors that belonged to the sixth captain's office.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**So that's it for this chapter! I couldn't resist making Byakuya a little jealous... He's just so cute like that... yet attractive! ^_^**

**Anyways... Thank you so much for sticking with me for this long! Soon there will be a _huge_ turn of events so keep posted! There's always gotta be some kind of drama right? Oh, reality...**

**Once again, every view is greatly appreciated whether you review or not, and advice or personal opinion is also valued. I use this as a learning experience to improve my writing skills, so all kinds of comments are taken into account. **

**Thank you so much for the support! You guys are amazing :)**

**-KC**


	6. Making Plans

**Author's Note! :D**

**Hey guys! I'm pleased to announce that I have officially gotten over a terrible case of the flu! I was bed ridden with a fever of 104 degrees and missed an entire week of school (so much make-up work T-T) but I'm back up and running! Now everyone else in my house is sick, so I've been busy caring for them... Don't catch the flu; it's not fun. Grrr...**

**But anyways, I f****inally had enough time to post this chapter today, on Thanksgiving! I hope you all enjoy this one; I am currently working on the next chapter and I'm allowed out of bed so the next one may be up soon :)**

* * *

Making Plans

_Finally, I have nearly caught up with all my work..._

Byakuya paused for a moment, glancing out the window to observe the sunny weather. It was a beautiful day; he would definitely take a stroll during his break.

_Perhaps I should also deliver that report we received to Captain Ukitake personally... _the captain contemplated. He shook the thought out of his head soon after. _I'm merely making up excuses to see... her._

Without a moment of hesitation, he went back to work. He did not welcome distractions, and Lord knew that today he was full of them.

A knocking on his office door broke his concentration once again.

"Don't tell me it's more paperwork being sent in!" Renji complained. "I was just starting to make a dent in my work load!"

"Come in and state your business," Captain Kuchiki instructed, ignoring the comments made by his lieutenant.

Rukia stepped in, shut the door behind her, and knelt respectfully in front of Byakuya's desk. "Rukia Kuchiki reporting in," was all she said.

"Rukia!" Abarai grinned. "What'cha doin' here?"

"State your business, Rukia." Byakuya tried hard to keep his expression blank as always as he spoke to her. Boy, did he have to try.

She didn't make direct eye contact with him, he noticed, and she seemed a bit shy. "Well, I'm on my lunch break, and decided to stop by... Is that okay, Captain?"

She addressed him properly at work, as always, but for some reason, he felt the title was distant.

"Please Captain? I've nearly finished my work! I'll even stay later today if I don't get it all done before my shift ends!" Renji pleaded.

"Begging is very unbecoming of a lieutenant, Renji," Byakuya scolded. "You should behave maturely, especially as a high ranking officer."

Renji faltered just a bit, but still hoped his superior would allow him to take a break.

"If there is that much to do, and if it's all right with you," Rukia interceded. "I could stay here and help instead."

He kept his eyes on her, studying her. _Why is she always so willing to help? Doesn't she realize how difficult she makes things for me? I can't afford any_ _distractions... _he thought.

Finally, she looked up at him, noticing how his eyes seemed to bore into her. He could see the sign of scarlet beginning to stain her cheeks.

She couldn't tell if he was upset with her or not. She worried that perhaps the events from the previous day hadn't left such a good memory with him. He could see the worry in her eyes, her insecurity, and he knew why she felt that way. He couldn't bring himself to dismiss her coldly, and he couldn't bring himself to deny her request when she was like this.

Byakuya put his pen down and turned his full attention to the two before him. "Renji, you may take leave for a short break but you may not leave the barracks to assure you aren't late to return to your duties."

"Thank you, Captain!" Renji grinned childishly, hurrying out of the office with his raven haired friend before the clan leader could change his mind. The Kuchiki leader let out a sigh; his lieutenant was hopeless.

"Rukia," he called before the two were gone.

"Yes?" she paused, awaiting his instruction.

For a moment, he stayed silent, staring at her. _Why did I just stop her again? I'm sure I had a reason to, didn't I? _he wondered. Surely he didn't just simply call her so she'd stay a few moments longer... right? He grimaced, realizing that may have been the case.

"Brother?" Rukia took a step closer to his desk, forgetting Renji was waiting for her outside for a moment. "Is something wrong?"

Byakuya lost the grimace, replacing it with his infamous blank expression. "I'll be seeing you for dinner tonight. I may be a bit late with all this work though, so please let the cooks know."

"Yes, I will tell them," she nodded.

A few more moments passed and she knew that wasn't all he had intended to say. "Nii-sama, surely there is something on your mind? You seem different today..." The girl began to fidget. "Is... Is it about what happened last night?" There was a noticeable flush spreading across her cheeks.

He said nothing and merely closed his eyes and thought. What was he supposed to tell her? That yes, it was about that. That all day, he'd been recalling how cute she looked curled up in the sheets, how beautiful she was in the moonlight. That he'd been remembering how it felt to have her in his arms. That he couldn't stop thinking of the way she'd said his name in her sleep. And worst of all? That for a little while, he'd forgotten he was her brother and when he'd remembered he was, he wished he wasn't.

How could he say any of that? It was all wrong! He _was_ her brother, there was no changing that! He shouldn't even be thinking about her like this!

"Nii-sama, I-I'm sorry... I never meant to fall asleep," Rukia began to apologize, her head down, her hair hiding her face. "I understand if you are upset. I imposed my presence. I mean, you and Hisana..." She couldn't stop herself now that she'd started, the words just kept flowing. She didn't dare meet his eyes. She felt too ashamed. "You loved her very much and I'm sure you must have been uncomfortable with me tainting her memory with my presence. You are too kind, Brother. I'm-"

"Enough," Byakuya interrupted. She looked up to find her brother standing before her, a hand on her shoulder. "Rukia, that's enough. You did nothing wrong. You'd been caring for me the entire day, you were tired, it is understandable. I too was exhausted and fell asleep. Surely you know me well enough by now to know that I wouldn't stand for anything that truly bothered me. Do not fret. Do not worry about such trivial things."

"Nii-sama...?" Rukia looked up at him, grateful that he wasn't mad at her. She really was worried that may have been the case.

"Rukia! Hurry it up! What's takin' you so long?" Renji called impatiently.

"Right, I'll be there in a sec Renji!" she replied, then turned to bow slightly towards the captain. "Please excuse me, Nii-sama."

He went back to his desk, once again seated behind it. "You are dismissed."

With that, she was gone, and Byakuya was left alone in his office with nothing but the sound of rustling papers and the scratching of his pen as he tried to get back to work.

xxxxxx

"Geez, Rukia! For a person that was out sick, you sure have a lot of energy!"

The two pals had decided to have a little race around the barracks to one of their favorite usual spots. Yes, even at the barracks, Byakuya loved to spend time outdoors and had insisted upon a garden being placed on the premises. It was nowhere near as wondrous as the garden of the Kuchiki estate, but the Squad 6 garden was still quite nice. It was full of many different flowers, a few sakura trees (courtesy of the Kuchiki family), a handful of apple trees, a large fountain as the centerpiece, and a stone pathway leading through the entire thing.

Renji was bent over, hands on his knees, breathing heavily, finally caught up with his friend. Rukia was in a nearby tree, lounging on a branch, taking a bite out of a fresh apple that she'd just picked off the same tree limb she was residing upon.

"You're just too slow, Renji," the girl smirked down at her companion. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were slacking off on that training Mr. Lieutenant!"

"What'd you say? Come down here and face me, pipsqueak!" he challenged, still huffing and puffing.

She threw the apple in her hand down at him, giggling as he jumped back out of the way. "Honestly, you expect me to take you seriously while you're trying to catch your breath from the little escapade of ours around the barracks?"

"You shut your pie hole!" Renji shouted, pointing accusingly at her. "I've been stuffed in an office the past few days, surrounded by stacks of paperwork! But even so, I can still take you on, midget!"

She threw another apple at him, hitting him square on the head, making him fall flat on his butt. She laughed loudly now. "C'mon, Renji! I dare you to come up here after me!"

With all her activity, the branch began to weaken and crack, and soon enough...

***SNAP***

The tree limb broke and Rukia also fell on her backside. It was Renji's turn to burst out into laughter.

"Yeah, yeah, chuckle all you want," she glared at him, staggering to her feet, brushing off, and rubbing her sore tail. She had to admit that she'd earned that one.

"Yoo-hoo!" Rangiku approached. "Ruuuukiaaaaaa!"

"Hey, Rangiku! What are you doing here?" Rukia wondered.

"Looking for you of coarse!" the woman smiled. "Glad to see you're feeling better. You missed the last SWA meeting while you were out, so I figured you hadn't heard the latest yet." Before the girl could ask what she'd missed, Rangiku grinned excitedly. "We're gonna be hosting a beach party in the world of the living! It'll be great!"

"A beach party?" Renji grinned. "Sounds like fun!"

"It will be! All captains and lieutenants are invited, all SWA members, those already residing in the world of the living like Ichigo Kurosaki and Yoruichi Shihouin, and each SWA member can invite up to five others!" Rangiku explained. "There'll be sweets and sake too! Oh, I can't wait!"

Rukia nodded, "Seems like it'll be a big deal... When is it?"

"There hasn't been a specific day set yet, but apparently it'll be held within the next month. I'm sure it'll be announced next meeting."

_I hope the captains don't surprise us with those watermelon monsters again... That didn't go down as pleasantly as they'd planned... _Rukia recalled, thinking back to the last time the Soul Reaper Women's Association had planned a beach trip. _Some normal watermelons would be nice..._

xxxxxx

"Kuchiki-sama! I have a message for you from the Elders!"

Byakuya looked up at his newest 'guest' stumbling into his office. A servant from the Kuchiki manor had a delivery for him; he was kneeling respectfully, holding an envelope out to the clan leader. It was indeed from the Kuchiki Elders, their family crest printed on the seal.

"What is this about?" Byakuya demanded, opening up the envelope.

"The Elders are requesting a meeting with you. I was not informed of any details regarding the topic of the meeting, but they said that there are some important matters to be discussed."

Byakuya began to read the message and angrily set it down before finishing. He knew what this was about without having to go over the entire letter: an heir.

"Schedule a meeting with them for tomorrow," the captain instructed. "Invite them over for dinner; we shall discuss these 'important matters' then."

* * *

**And there you have it! ****I know it's not as long as some of my other chapters, but I'm still not fully recovered and not feeling very well at the moment... I wanted to get something up here for you guys though so I had to post this sooner rather than later.**

**The Elders are starting to get involved! Oh no! ****I hope you guys don't mind if I make up names for them... :/**

**Did you get the watermelon monster reference? I was watching the beach themed episode of Bleach a few days ago****(episode 228 I think) **so that when I write that chapter in the future, I can make references to the last time they went to the beach... **That episode was purely ****fan service -_-' I do love Toshiro Hitsugaya though, so the idea of him hiding from the sun and using his zanpakuto for ice is rather amusing :P**

**For those that celebrate it, Happy Thanksgiving! Stuff your face with all the good food and enjoy that fat turkey! I know I will! :3**

**As my cousin says because he likes to mix holidays together: Hope the magic turkey brought you everything on your list since you've been good all year long!**

**Gobble gobble!**

**-KC**


	7. The Meeting

**Author's Note! (/-_-)/**

**Ta Da!**

**Now I know what a lot of you are thinking! "It's about darn time! You took forever just to post about the meeting with the Elders!" At least, that's what my friend said to me. But alas! It took so long, not so I could post just this chapter, but post TWO chapters! I want to get to the good stuff (and I'm sure you do too because we're fangirls and that's what we all want)! I was going to put this chapter and the next one all as one really long chapter, but I figured it would be best if I kept them separate so that it's easier to keep track of the story line and such... Oh chapter titles, how amazingly handy you are...**

**Anyways, that's enough of my gabbing! Please, enjoy! :D**

* * *

The Meeting

The girl fidgeted again, brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes. "Must I wear this?"

"Of coarse, Rukia-sama! You must be absolutely perfect for the Elders!" the maid assured, helping Rukia into her kimono.

Rukia hated having to get dressed up like this. Sure she had to look presentable at all times, especially for dinner, but when the Elders came along she had to wear fancy, even less comfortable outfits. She had to impress them every time they saw her and she hated it. No matter how much she tried, nothing impressed them. They always saw her as the poor girl that they brought in as Hisana's death wish. The girl that they'd always pitied. The girl that was worth nothing to them, just a pup without a pedigree.

"There! All done!"

Rukia, snapped out of her daze, stood there studying herself through the full body mirror in the corner of her room. She wore a deep purple kimono with a pattern of golden flowers, her hair up in a twist held together by a matching gold clip.

"Oh, Miss Rukia, you're absolutely stunning!" the maid gleamed. "Of coarse, you're always beautiful, but tonight you are even more so!"

A knocking on the door caught their attention.

"Come in," Rukia permitted.

"Dinner is served, Lady Kuchiki," a butler announced. "The Elders have also arrived and are seated in the dining hall."

Rukia took in a deep breath. _Just smile and try to avoid making a fool of yourself_ she thought.

"Don't worry, Rukia-sama," the maid assured quietly to the raven haired girl. This maid was actually Rukia's favorite. Her name was Mai and she always comforted her, always had a warm, encouraging smile.

Mai made an adjustment to Rukia's hair and gave her one of those smiles right then. "Go on, give them your best, all right?"

Rukia smiled, feeling better about the evening's events.

-Not Much Later-

"Good evening," Rukia bowed her head, the others seated at the table turning to observe her entrance.

"Ah, Rukia," a man, seeming to be the head elder, greeted. Rukia had met two or three of the Elders, and that had only been a handful of times. She felt nervous now. "It's a pleasure to see you, dear," the man smiled. "We've all heard much about you but I'm quite certain we haven't all met."

"Please, the pleasure is all mine," she replied, feeling uneasy with all eyes on her, each of them studying her every mannerism... All but one person that is.

"Unfortunately, Ginrei could not join us today, he was busy taking care of other matters this evening. He sends his best regards however."

"What a shame... I've met him but once or twice, it would have been nice to see him again," Rukia grimaced. She actually knew Ginrei, her grandfather and he was kind to her. He was the real head Elder, but she'd learned enough about the Elders to know that Keiji was practically his right hand, so it wasn't surprising that he had left him in charge in his absence.

While the head elder sat at one end of the table, Byakuya was on the other end, an empty chair left to his right side, apparently for her.

She was guided by a servant to her spot along the table next to her brother and she tried her best to maintain her 'noble appearance' as she took her seat.

_So far so good, Rukia..._ the girl thought. For her first time actually meeting with all the Elders, she wasn't doing too bad. Everyone was introduced by the head elder, Keiji. Aside from him, there were about seven others. She couldn't remember each name as he did a quick run through of the guests, but she picked up that Tomeo was the slender man sitting on the other side of Byakuya, she was seated next to Yoshi, who had a long white mustache, another man that looked quite burly was known as Michio, and one of the two women was Kaede. After all that had been settled, food was brought out and dinner began.

While Byakuya was quiet during most of the meal, speaking only when necessary, those that sat nearby and had never met her asked Rukia many questions. She felt awkward, knowing that while most of them were very polite, they were judging her with every word she said. Questions ranged from the topic of being a soul reaper and a member of the SWA and what it was like staying in the world of the living for so long, to personal relationships and everyday life.

"Rukia, how is your progress towards lieutenancy?"

"How was your last soul reaper assignment?"

"Have you achieved bankai yet?"

"How is Captain Ukitake doing? Is he feeling well?"

"What have you been up to in the SWA? I trust all is going well?"

"We heard that you had to stay in the home of Ichigo Kurosaki while residing within the World of the Living... What was that like?"

"What is your relationship to that boy?"

"Are you currently seeing anyone? A boy you fancy?"

It were as if she were in the midst of the most important interview of her life and they wanted every available detail. She lost track of how long she'd been talking to them, replying to each inquiry.

"I'll admit, you are indeed more than I'd anticipated, Rukia... I apologize for having thought less," Tomeo confessed. "Truly, you hold up the Kuchiki name very well."

"Oh, thank you," she smiled. "I'm so happy to hear that, it's really a relief..." _Good job, Rukia! They actually kind of like you now! _she cheered inwardly. She glanced over to her brother for approval, but he just kept that bored expression of his. What she didn't realize is that he just wasn't looking forward to the meeting actually starting. However, being the head of the clan and realizing that if he didn't say something right then it would take a few more hours to finally get done with all of this, he cleared his throat. Silence followed and everyone turned their attention to Byakuya.

"I apologize for interrupting your conversations," he began. "But I believe there are important matters to be discussed."

_Brother is so regal, so __authoritative... So admirable..._

Rukia couldn't help but admire him, and she started to see why so many members of the SWA fawned over him. He had that noble air to him; he was princely. He commanded attention with the slightest of gestures while keeping that collected appearance. He was a natural born leader.

"You are very right, Byakuya," Keiji agreed. "Perhaps it is time to sort out the purpose of this gathering."

One of the men Rukia couldn't remember the name of spoke out. "Is it wise to speak before the young lady?" he asked, gesturing to the raven haired girl. "She has never been a part of meetings such as this, let alone been invited to a dinner with us. If I may, I suggest we discuss in private?"

"Come now, as a lady of the house she has the right to attend if she so desires," Kaede disagreed. "No harm would be done by her presence."

Keiji raised a hand to quiet the table as they had all begun to debate. "Calm yourselves. As head of the clan, I believe it is Byakuya's decision," he explained, turning his gaze to the man sitting next to Rukia. "You know the topics at hand. How should we progress?"

Byakuya glanced at Rukia from the corner of his eye. She wanted to stay because curiosity, being an ever troublesome thing, was getting the better of her. At the same time, she wanted to say her goodbyes and return to her chambers where she could quit the graceful façade and change into her Chappy the Rabbit pajamas.

"She has no relevance to the issues to be discussed; she does not need to concern herself with unrelated affairs," Byakuya replied to the Head Elder.

"Very true," the older man nodded. "Rukia? What do you wish to do?"

"Me? Well," she began. _Nii-sama doesn't want me to stay... I should probably go, but I don't want to offend them. What should I say?_ After mulling it over for a moment, Rukia smiled warmly at the guests surrounding her. "I believe it has been a privilege to have finally met you all and an uplifting experience. However, I do not think I should impose and ask for more than I have already been given tonight." She stood up and slightly bowed to them. "Thank you for allowing me to join you for dinner, but I will leave you all to your business without distraction."

"Very thoughtful words, child. Very wise indeed." Keiji smiled back. "Again, you surpass our expectations. I will be expecting wonderful things from you, Miss Rukia."

After properly dismissing herself and wishing them all a good night, Rukia left the room, grateful that she could finally let her hair loose and get out of that kimono.

xxxxxx

Wishing he could leave as well, Byakuya waited for the Elders to begin with their lecturing and inquiries. He was glad Rukia had gone; she didn't need to be dragged into anything, she shouldn't have to worry about such nonsense.

Thinking of Rukia, he couldn't hold back the pride that he felt with the way she'd handled everything tonight. She'd dealt with the Elders perfectly, behaving like a true blue blood. That was his girl, his sister. There was no doubt that the Elders were now thinking positively about her, not just that she was a poor girl brought in through the dying wish of her sister. They saw how much potential she had, and how far she'd already come.

That could also present a problem. Seeing as to the fact that they were beginning to take an interest in her, they might have begun deciding on suitors and the possibility that she could further enhance the clan's name by marrying the son of a respectable family. Now that, he would not approve of. He'd adopted her as his sister to protect her as Hisana had desired, not to send her off to marry strangers or do the bidding of the noble families.

"Byakuya," Keiji addressed, recapturing the clan leader's attention. "You know what we must deliberate. It is something we've had to come back to repeatedly within the last few decades."

"We need an heir to the family," Michio stated simply. "We aren't going to push anyone at you, but you haven't shown the least bit of interest in courting."

Kaede nodded, "We even introduced you to some very nice ladies from the other clans, respectable families. Yet, you did nothing, having no interest at all!"

"We understand that after Hisana's passing, it would be hard for you, it would take much time to move on..." Yoshi interceded.

"But still, you haven't made any attempt! At least a meeting, or an invitation to dinner... If we saw you making an honest attempt, we'd be perfectly fine, but..." Tomeo added.

"But," Keiji continued. "Seeing as to the fact that you've declined any requests by the other clans, and you haven't made an effort on your own, we are running out of patience."

Silence followed that statement. Byakuya said nothing, knowing full well that they weren't done. They wanted him to respond, to react, but he would not give in to their silly games. He had more than enough pride to hold his ground.

"You know..." Daichi trailed, breaking the silence. "Miss Rukia has matured since she was brought into the family. She is no longer the child from the streets, she is a noble woman."

"Indeed!" Kaede smiled in agreement. "She's such a bright girl and very charming too... It's amazing how much potential she has."

"It's almost as if she were _born_ from nobility. We are very pleased with her, very impressed..." Yoshi nodded. "She'll make a wonderful wife someday to a very lucky man."

Byakuya didn't like where this was going.

"Speaking of which," Keiji spoke up. "We've been receiving many requests from the other clans. The young lords and sons wish to meet with her. Some even requested her hand! Seems to me that they are all also becoming progressively interested with our little diamond in the ruff... Although I'm sure you already knew about that Byakuya. You've been receiving such requests for her as well, no?"

"I rejected each one. Rukia is busy concentrating on her soul reaper duties. She has no time for restless suitors," the head of the family replied. Byakuya was annoyed now. They didn't need to start hassling his sister.

"Even so, don't you think she deserves to know about those invitations?" Arisu questioned. "That has everything to do with her. You must realize that she will marry at some point in time, you can't keep her from that forever."

"Unless that is exactly what you wish to do?" Kaede joked. "Oh Byakuya, you naughty boy. You just want to keep her all to yourself don't you? You didn't even share her with us until today!"

"She does seem to be one of the only females in the soul society that he willingly withstands..." Tomeo added to the joke. "You know, she isn't really his sister so maybe he-"

"That is enough," Byakuya interrupted in agitation. "Do not throw around such ridiculous theories that are not true."

Keiji smirked. "Hmph..." he scoffed, not saying anything else.

"Well," Kazuo sighed. "We have decided on a proposal for you, Byakuya."

Arisu continued, "Either you start courting, or we'll start organizing meetings with possible suitors for Rukia's hand. We need an heir, and if you won't give one to us, perhaps she will."

"Byakuya, we understand that it takes time to develop relationships, or to get over an old one..." Yoshi sympathized. "And we most certainly don't want either of you two to just find someone to, as you younger folk say, 'hook up' with... We want you to have a wholesome relationship, to be happy with whomever you choose, therefore, we won't rush either of you to produce an heir. We just want to see an honest attempt to find someone."

Another long silence ensued. Keiji stood up from the table.

"I can see that you have much on your mind, Byakuya. We shall leave you to your thoughts and our words."

The Elders left, Byakuya thanking them for coming and wishing them a safe journey back to their homes out of politeness. He was relieved they had finally gone, retreating to his chambers for a long, hot bath and then perhaps a walk in the garden to relieve the newly added stress he now felt.

xxxxxx

_I hope this is the last one..._ Rukia sighed to herself as she pulled another bobby pin out of her hair. She'd taken a bath once she left the dining room. It had taken from then until now to completely change out of that kimono, wash the little bit of makeup off her face, and take everything out of her hair to detangle it, which was nearly an hour. She would have to wash her hair again just to definitely make sure all the product and accessories were out of it.

"Miss Kuchiki?" a servant called, knocking on the door.

"Yes? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just wanted to inform you that the Elders have departed."

"Oh, yes, thank you."

After informing Rukia, the young maid left, probably busy cleaning and what not now that the guests were gone. The raven haired girl felt a weight lifted off her shoulders knowing that they were gone. It meant that she could return to her usual schedule. In fact, she decided it would be a good time to get some hot tea before heading to bed. Not wanting to bother the servants, she went straight to the kitchen and brewed herself a fresh pot, grabbing a few snacks to take back to her room as well.

As she returned to her chambers, she caught a glimpse of a figure, his familiar stature and black hair heading down the hall, probably towards the garden for his usual nightly walk.

_I hope brother is all right. He doesn't need anything else to worry him, he's already got so much to do..._ Rukia worried, thinking about the meeting. _I wonder what __happened..._

Deciding he would like some tea as well, Rukia stealthily slipped into Byakuya's room and left the pot and a cup on his desk. Hopefully he wouldn't stay out for long so it would still be nice and hot when he returned.

xxxxxx

It was cool out, the trees rustling in the light breeze. The scent of sakura emanated from the foliage, petals falling as they were carried by the wind. The moon cast an omniscient glow on everything.

Byakuya let out a deep sigh. It was in this place, the sakura garden, that he could think clearly. Or if he so choose, to not think at all. He could clear his head, sort things out or if he desired, he could allow himself to become distracted by the simplest little features surrounding him. As much as he wanted to occupy all his attention on something trivial such as the chirping of crickets or swaying of the flowers with the breeze, he knew that tonight he had far too much to think about.

_Why must they be so hellbent upon me producing an heir? I understand that we need one sometime in the future, but is it really necessary to be so overbearing? Each and every time it has become worse and worse. And is it really surprising that I have not remarried? I've lost count of how many requests I've __received from other noble clans for me to meet their daughters. You'd think that after I declined them the first time, they'd stop asking! If I haven't chosen anyone that I'd like to court for this long, what makes them think that asking for countless times again will change my mind? What's worse is that now even Rukia is being pulled in and she's receiving just as many, maybe more, than I am!_

He stopped walking and pinched the bridge of his nose, frustrated.

_This is getting out of hand far too quickly now that the Elder's have become so determined and have created that 'proposal'. There must be a way to satiate their requests for the time being... But how?_

Byakuya pondered upon that while looking around to see where he'd stopped. He was next to the koi pond, still able to hear the familiar croaking of frogs.

He recalled the time that Rukia had been startled by one of the creatures, landing them both in the water due to her frenzy. Although he should probably be mad, considering the fact that he became sick and had to remain home for a day or two, he couldn't help but chuckle.

What Byakuya didn't yet realize fully is that the garden wasn't the only thing that could occupy his mind and relieve his stress. He had his lovely little sister for that as well.

* * *

**Go on to the next chapter! Go, go, go! :D**

**-KC**


	8. Planning With the SWA

**Author's Note! :P**

**Just read and enjoy! ^_^**

* * *

Planning With The SWA

"There has to be saki! There has to be!"

"I hope Captain Hitsugaya actually has fun on the beach with us this year..."

"Didn't you hear? All captains and lieutenants are being invited automatically."

"Yay, Kenny! Kenny can come! Kenny can come!"

"Shouldn't we invite Ikkaku and Yumichika as well?"

"We can all invite other people, as long as we give them invitations of coarse!"

Rukia sat patiently as many of the other women giggled and shared idle chit-chat while waiting for the meeting to officially begin.

"Everyone, take your seats!" Yachiru instructed, having to yell over the many voices.

Nemu placed a tray of cookies and snacks on the table where most of the ladies sat.

"Ooooh! Sweets!" Yachiru drooled. "Nanao, can you start us off?"

Nanao sighed, "Yes, of coarse president."

"Yay!" the young girl giggled, running for the treats Nemu had brought out.

"Well then, now that I have all your attention," Nanao began. "Let's start coordinating our beach party... We need to divide into groups; each separate group will be assigned a task to take care of. The possible jobs you may be assigned are to be in charge of decorations, food and beverages, invitation delivery, or planning party events. We will have sign up sheets so you may list yourself under your preferable job. However, Captain Unohana and I will look the lists over to make sure each group has enough volunteers so some of you may be switched around."

"I told you, I am to be addressed as Supervising Chairwoman during these meetings, okay Vice-President?" Unohana corrected. Her tone was kind, but Nanao got chills.

"Y-yes, I'm sorry ma'am," she apologized.

"Wait!" Rangiku called, her hand waving in the air to get the women's attention. "What about our theme? Doesn't the party have a theme?"

"Yeah, that's a great idea!"

"I mean, if we have decorations, that only makes sense..."

"Oh, this'll be fun!"

"All right, all right! We'll choose a theme for the party..." Nanao agreed. "Any suggestions?"

"Hawaiian?" Momo sheepishly suggested. "It is a beach after all..."

"Chappy the Rabbit!" Rukia giggled.

"Candy!" Yachiru squealed. "Candy themed!"

"How about a sexy swimsuit party? We could make it a contest and everything for the males and females!" Rangiku grinned.

"No, no, no!" Nanao shook her head. "Unless anyone has any other suggestions, I think we'll go with the Hawaiian idea."

Unohana passed a sheet around. "Now that that has taken care of, I will hand the sign up sheets out to be passed around. Sign up for your desired task as the sheet reaches you."

"And remember, you have to volunteer for something!" Yachiru said, finishing the platter of sweets, Nemu going to get another plate. "If you don't, I'll make sure you can't come to the party and ask Kenny to take care of security!"

Everyone signed up after that threat. By the time the sheet had made it's way to Rukia, the job with the least names was for invitation delivery. She added her name there, figuring that if she signed up for anything else, she'd be moved to that job anyway. Moments later, everyone had written their name down and the form was back in the hands of Nanao.

"Okay ladies, we're going check the lists and put them up on the wall to post the final assignments," Unohana smiled. "Feel free to share any ideas you may have while waiting as we try to get this done as quickly as possible."

The room was filled with conversation. Party possibilities were excitedly discussed while some women gossiped and fawned over possible men that would be attending.

"Captain Kyōraku couldn't make it last time... I hope I get to see him at the party!"

"Renji went last time... I wonder how far those tattoo's extend..."

"Renji? Please. Shūhei is probably coming! He's way better looking than Renji..."

"I hear Captain Kurotsuchi was considering coming along... That won't be a pretty sight..."

"Ugh. That creeper?"

"Well, I can't wait to see Captain Kuchiki on the beach; I missed it last time!"

"Byakuya Kuchiki is quite a hunk, eh?"

"Mm-hm! What a princely hottie!"

Rukia reddened, embarrassed for some reason. She couldn't listen to those ladies talk about her Nii-sama like that, it was just weird. I mean, she knew that he was well admired by them, but still, listening to that just felt awkward. She thought back to the time they'd fallen into the koi pond and he gave her his night robe. How he was so handsome in the moonlight, his skin glowing and the water dripping down his torso from his long black hair...

_Stop it! What are you thinking?! _she yelled at herself. Why in the hell would she be remembering THAT right then?

She tried to distract herself. She noticed Yachiru had fallen asleep in the corner of the room, all mischief gone from her expression, replaced with peacefulness.

Rukia began to remember how Byakuya had fallen sick the day after the pond incident. She'd caught him sleeping a few times throughout the day. His expression was peaceful then as well...

Thinking about the last memory made her think about that following night. How she'd fallen asleep in his room, stayed with him for the night. How he apparently wasn't mad and let her stay, his deliciously sweet scent all over her the next day...

_Dammit, Rukia! What kind of sister are you?!_

"Rukia, are you all right? You're red like a tomato," Momo asked, worried about her friend.

"I-It's nothing!" _Crap, I'm bad enough that other's can notice? Please just tell me what my duties are and let me go home to hide in shame!_

-Later-

Rukia had sure enough been given the task of handing out invitations. Luckily, they gave her people she wanted to invite anyway. Perhaps they did that since she was given the most to deliver. She would be the one to have to go to the World of the Living because she knew Ichigo and the others very well. She was grateful to whomever had decided on her group of invitations.

Her list had the names of:

-Ichigo Kurosaki

-Orihime Inoue

-Yasutora Sado (Chad)

-Uryū Ishida

-Kisuke Urahara

-Yoruichi Shihōin

-Renji Abarai

-Byakuya Kuchiki

They were all people she saw daily, or at least whenever she desired. It would be a breeze. At least, she'd thought so.

She'd decided to take care of the ones for those that resided in the World of the Living first. Upon arrival, she found that the school was closed, so Rukia went to the Urahara Shop on her way to the Kurosaki home. It was closed, an 'Out For Lunch' sign hanging up on the door. She decided to wait for them to return rather than leaving Yoruichi and Kisuke's invitations there. To Rukia's relief, someone appeared not too long after.

"Oh, um, hello there Rukia. Long time no see," Ururu smiled timidly. "I hope everything is all right..."

"Hey there, Ururu," Rukia smiled. "Is Kisuke anywhere around here?"

"Er, no... I'm sorry, but it seems he and the others are still out. Can I help you with anything?"

Rukia pulled out the invitations. "Could you do me a little favor and give these to him? There's one for Yoruichi too... There's going to be a beach party hosted by the Soul Reaper's Women Association. I have a few extra invitations for you as well in case you would also like to go."

"Oh, thank you," Ururu accepted. "I'll be sure to let him know you stopped by. We'll be seeing you then."

"Okay, give the others my best regards! See you later, Ururu!" Rukia grinned, saying good-bye.

_Only six to go! I might be able to finish up today and still make it home early!_ the raven haired girl cheered as she headed for the Kurosaki home._  
_

-Later-

"Rukiaaaaaaaaa!"

The girl dodged as a familiar stuffed animal jumped up to embrace her. He ended up face first against the wall.

"Kon, you know by now that never works," she sighed, plucking him off the floor to hold him up at eye level.

"But it's been so long! I've missed you!" he cried. "You can't even hug your old pal? I've been stuck here with Ichigo all this time!"

"Speaking of Ichigo, where is he?" she asked.

"Oh, so you wanna see him and don't give a hoot about me? In that case, I won't tell you," Kon pouted.

"Don't be ridiculous Kon, I need to give him something."

The stuffed toy scoffed, turning away with his little arms crossed. Rukia glared at him and began to shake him wildly. "Tell me, Kon! Spill it!"

"Okay, okay! I'll tell you if you put me down! Please!"

She dropped him on the bed, his plush body making a squeak on impact. Kon breathed heavily, recovering. "You're gonna make me sick! You know that? Honestly, you could be a little nicer."

"I'm in a rush to deliver invitations Kon; I don't have time for silly games, so just tell me where that boy is so I can return to the Soul Society."

"Yuzu sent him to pick up some groceries. He's been gone for about an hour and a half so he should be back soon," Kon sighed. "And if you're in that much of a rush, why don't you just give whatever it is to me? I could let Ichigo know so you don't have to wait around."

"Well, to be honest, I think you might forget to. That or you might get nosy and investigate. A little pervert like you doesn't need to come to _this_ kind of event."

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" he argued.

"It's a beach party hosted by the Soul Reaper's Women Association," she explained, waiting for his reaction.

"Aaaaaah, no way! Please let me come! Pleeeeease!" he pleaded, probably imagining bikini's and the like.

She shook her head. "No."

"B-But-"

"No buts, Kon."

He curled up, pouting again. "This is no fair..."

She sat on the bed as well. "You shouldn't have behaved so immaturely. Besides, you're a mod-soul. As far as the soul reapers know, you don't exist, remember?"

"I guess you're right..."

The two of them sat there, waiting patiently when soon the sound of commotion could be heard coming from downstairs.

"You forgot the onioooooooons!" someone yelled. It must have been Isshin Kurosaki charging at his son. Sure enough there was a crash as if something had been knocked over.

"Whaddya expect me to do? Go back to the store? It wasn't on the list," Ichigo replied. There was another crash, this one closer, somewhere along the stairway. You could then hear someone falling down the stairs. That was also probably Isshin, knocked back by Ichigo after he tried to attack him again.

"You're reflexes are pretty good, son! But trust me, I'll get you soon!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Ichigo sighed, opening his bedroom door. He jumped when he noticed someone in there; he wasn't expecting to find Rukia.

"What're you doing here Rukia?" he wondered, scratching his head. "Don't tell me you need to stay in my closet again, I just finished reorganizing it so it would actually be usable..."

"Very funny," she smirked. "I actually won't be staying long; I came by to drop something off."

The boy was confused. "What is it? You couldn't leave it with Kon?"

"No, I didn't want him to get his hands on the details of this event," she explained, pulling out his invitation. "The Soul Reaper's Women Association will be hosting a beach party."

"Oh, cool," Ichigo replied, taking the envelope from Rukia. "Sounds good."

"You'll let me go, right Ichigo?" Kon begged.

"Fat chance. The idea of you surrounded by girls on the beach isn't a good one; you're too much of a creep."

"What?! But we're both guys! You should be on my side!" The plush toy was upset. He was expecting Ichigo to defend him, not agree with Rukia.

"Sorry Kon, but no."

Kon hopped off of the bed and headed to the closet to sulk. "Who needs you guys and your parties anyway?!"

Deciding to ignore the little lion's question, Rukia pulled out three more of the envelopes and handed them to her orange haired friend.

"Why are you giving me so many?" he questioned.

"Those are for Orihime, Uryū, and Chad. I didn't see them today so could you give them theirs for me?"

"Geez, what am I, your errand boy?" Ichigo asked sarcastically, taking them from her anyway.

She smiled. "It's great help, really! Thanks, Ichigo!"

"Uh huh," he waved off.

After saying good-bye, Rukia left, done with all the deliveries within the World of the Living. Finally, she could go home. Thankfully, the Kuchiki estate had it's own gate on grounds so she was immediately transported to the manor when traveling through the gateway to the Soul Society.

-Later-

_Home sweet home! _Rukia smiled gratefully, walking through the house towards the dining room.. She was starving, stomach grumbling loudly! It wasn't late at night but she knew that it must have definitely been past the time dinner was usually served in the house. At least two hours past. _Brother must have already eaten... Looks like I'll be dining alone tonight. Ah well, I can't blame him for not waiting; I did take extra long with all my work plus those deliveries today..._

Finally, she'd made it to her destination, but the room wasn't empty.

On the table were two plates of food across from one another, both seemingly untouched. Before one of the platters was the object of most of her thoughts recently.

He'd been sitting there for who knows how long, his head resting on his hand, eyes closed. Was he asleep? No... Byakuya Kuchiki would not fall asleep at the table.

_Was he... waiting for me? This late? _She couldn't believe it. Whenever she was too late, he became impatient and ate without her. So why would he...?

Hesitantly, and very quietly, she approached, taking her seat across from him.

"How did your day go, Rukia?" he suddenly asked, eyes on her. "Judging by the hour you are returning compared to your usual arrival, I'm guessing it was busy?"

"Y-yes. Squad 13 has been very busy since Captain Ukitake was sick again today," she said. "I've also had to deliver invitations for the SWA beach party."

"Yes, I'd heard that you had to go to the World of the Living for a bit today," he replied.

Rukia glanced down at his plate to see if it was really untouched. He hadn't eaten a bite.

"Nii-sama, is your appetite still not very good from the time you were ill last week?" she worried. "You haven't eaten yet."

"It is fine," he assured. "I merely waited for you"

She could feel her cheeks warm up. He'd really waited for her?

"T-thank you, Nii-sama," she smiled. "I'm glad; I thought I may be eating by myself today. I apologize for taking so long..."

"Hm," was the only sound that escaped him. After a moment, he added, turning his gaze to her untouched plate, "Just try not to make me wait this long again, understand Rukia?"

"Of coarse, Brother," she giggled happily. Why did she feel so bubbly now? "I promise not to."

"Don't make promises you may not be able to keep," he pointed out. "Now eat, I could hear your stomach from down the hall..." That was Byakuya's way of showing his concern for her wellbeing.

Cheerily, she complied. It was silent for the rest of the meal until they said goodnight, but it wasn't the usual, heavy silence that filled the atmosphere. Instead it was something else; something lighter and far more warm than before.

* * *

**So what did you think? Eh? Last chapter was pretty easy to do but I had severe writer's block when it came to this chapter... I hope it didn't show... :/ **

**Anyways, next chapter is the beach party! Whoop ****whoop! I'm sure everyone will just LOVE that one *cough cough* something serious is gonna go down between these two *cough cough***

**Thank you for reading, I really appreciate the support! To be honest, sometimes you guys are the only reason I write; I don't wanna let you guys down!**

**Until next time!**

**-KC**


End file.
